China has warned against the ‘law of the jungle’ after US-Israeli strikes on Iran, but will Iran's biggest oil buyer take any tangible measures?

The conflict in the Middle East is widening, with missile and drone strikes hitting Iran, Israel and neighbouring countries, and Washington is now warning its campaign could continue for weeks. China is often viewed as Tehran’s key international backer. It buys the majority of Iran’s crude oil, signed a sweeping 25-year strategic agreement in 2021, and has brought Iran into the Beijing-backed BRICS grouping.

So how is Washington’s biggest strategic rival responding now that Iran’s government is under direct attack from the US?

In this episode, host Mariko Oi is joined by Asia Specific’s Bill Birtles, a former China correspondent and James Dorsey of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies to explore whether the China-Iran relationship is as deep as many assume and what the conflict means for China’s oil interests and long-term strategy.

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China warns against ‘law of the jungle’ after US-Israeli strikes on Iran

Asia Specific